To ask how long withdrawal lasts?

People do not die from withdrawal!

They die from taking too many drugs, from dirty needles, from sepsis, from respiratory depression, withdrawal is bloody awful, but it will not kill you! It might however make you feel like you are dying.

Edit - I am talking about drugs such as heroin etc

Actually, I’ll caveat that - that they do not die from opiate withdrawals.

You can die from diazepam or other benzodiazepine or alcohol withdrawals.

Show me these facts. People die from drug overdoses. They die from injecting related problems. They die from mixing various types of respiratory depressants. They do not die from withdrawals.

I work in drug treatment and the facts are the opiate withdrawal is not dangerous. Unpleasant yes but you dont die from opiate withdrawals.

Addicts require prescribed treatment because they cannot tolerate the withdrawals. This doesn’t mean they are particularly dangerous. It just means they don’t like them.

Someone alao commented you need to be mindful of the psychological effects of addiction. This is probably more pertinent than people realise in lower doses of codeine.

Lets clutch those pearls a bit tighter - OP is taking over the counter medication, not shooting up heroin from the local dealer

Look at the national drug a d alcohol research centre data. Just lifted this from a page on website

People can, and do, die from opiate withdrawal – and all such deaths are preventable, given appropriate medical management.

It is essential that clinical management programs are put in place routinely in jails, prisons and other facilities where withdrawal is likely in order to avert these avoidable deaths.

Tell that to all the addicts who had heart attacks or died because of withdrawals. Don't believe me, your choice. You've only been doing it for a year so maybe it wouldn't be so bad for you hopefully

my DH has just come off codiene after 8 years, He was given an 8 week plan and took a few tablets less each week and so on until he was taking one tablet a day for the last week. he didn't realise how addicted he had become to it. well done for realising and I wish you all the best

Opioid withdrawal going completely cold turkey is very dangerous, don't know who told you otherwise but they're wrong. Worst symptoms would be out of the way in 3 days but it's going to be a long painful few days. After that it's more the mental side with cravings that you need to watch out for. Good luck and well done for realising that you have a problem and want to sort it out

Hi @Scunthorpee I tapered off tramadol approximately 2 years ago. I had switched GP practices and they were horrified the amount I was taking and for how long! I was mortified, I felt like a junkie, fortunately for me I was also going onto quetiapine which helped my withdrawals at night. I felt fine during the day but was super agitated at night I couldn't sleep. A pharmacist gave me a B vitamin to help I think it was B1 and it really helped. Plenty of hydration, and magnesium helped with my agitated legs too. It was the worst thing and I will never touch them again. Xx good luck OP

No it’s not! Don’t think I like that! There are millions of people addicted to these things and to plenty of medications that gps were the ones to prescribe to them in the first place. I love how people think the gp will give you all this magical support and counselling… as if you need to look it as a two part issue. I can literally take what ever you take, cut a little off and taper down etc… that gets over the physical… do it though asap if you’re getting stomach pains. It’s the physiological side that’s hard … you’re stressed, upset and you know what takes the edge off….but you stopped smoking and it’s the same thing … I stopped too over twenty years ago and it never even occurs to me now to crave cigarettes and hasn’t done for years but at the time it was brutal. I’m working on quitting the Prosecco now… it’s hard! You can do it and you know you can but if it was me, and obviously, before someone jumps on me I’m not a medical professional, but I’d taper off. My poor mum was addicted to Tramadol thanks to her GP, they weren’t exactly running to help her when she was struggling. You’ll do it. And no, it’s not a punishment and you’re not stupid! X

Around 10 days on a much higher dose than you, cold turkey started around 24hrs from last dose, diarrhoea, no appetite, cold sweats, can’t get warm, disturbed sleep, restless legs, muscle aches.

You’re right in what your saying, it’s not dangerous to go cold turkey, you can get some Imodium for the bowels and night nurse for the sleep but you were on a small dose so might be fine.

Fair enough. Good luck then.

I apologise for saying that.

Yeah maybe I’m taking this personally due to my family member. It’s just something than get take a hold before people realise.

It’s a horrible drug.

The OP was taking double the recommended daily dose of codeine as it's in both cocodamol and Nurofen plus. And it's the codeine that's the addictive part.

No! Honestly, I’m not judging at all. It’s just really insidious and can creep up on someone.

Not if the OP is giggling about it helping her chill out at night…..it’s insidious.

I’m not judging (in case the OP thinks I am), I just know how it can take hold.